After Veto Override, “Permitless” Carry Marches Forth In W.Va.

Less than 24 hours after West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed a “permitless” concealed-carry bill, the state’s House of Delegates on Friday overrode that veto by a vote of 64 to 33. According to Communications Director Jacque Bland, the Senate had already adjourned for the day when the vote took place, but Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael told the Charleston Gazette-Mail, “We’ll plan on addressing that tomorrow.”

HB 4145 would do away with the restriction on law-abiding residents carrying firearms in the manner that best suits their needs, strengthen penalties for possessing an illegal firearm and allow individuals between 18 and 21 to apply for a permit after undergoing training. It’s believed the Senate will follow suit in voting to override. If so, the measure would go into effect in late May.

Tomblin, who vetoed a similar bill last year, claims concerns for police safety prompted the veto, but no other state with “permitless” carry laws has ever had such issues.

Gun Control Gets Center Stage At Star-Studded Clinton Fundraiser

At a high-dollar concert fundraiser for the Hillary Victory Fund, Hillary Clinton’s super PAC, Grammy Award-winning musicians and Hollywood celebrities toasted the Democrat front-runner at Radio City Music Hall Wednesday night, with actress Julianne Moore, who introduced Clinton, praising her in particular for her gun-control advocacy.

“I’m proud to support Hillary Clinton for president—someone ... who’s not afraid to stand up for the NRA and who will keep fighting for common-sense gun reform,” Moore pronounced. Besides Moore, notables attending the event—where ticket prices ranged from $125 to $2,700 and sponsors ponied up another $125,000—included Sir Elton John, Katy Perry, Jamie Foxx, Chelsea Clinton and former President Bill Clinton, who tried to make a joke of the grave implications of Hillary Clinton’s use of a non-secure email server to exchange sensitive, classified information.

Presumably, armed security surrounding the event exceeded even that of the Oscars.

Did Bill Clinton Violate Election Law In The Massachusetts Primary?

In a video posted on DailyKos.com and others, the former president can be clearly seen, accompanied by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, inside a polling venue in West Roxbury, Mass. Another video recorded at a polling station in New Bedford showed how the size of Clinton’s entourage reportedly blocked access to voters for two hours.

Massachusetts law prohibits any campaigning within 150 feet of a polling station, or in any way interfering with the right to vote. When Brian McNiff, a spokesperson for Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, was asked if Clinton’s appearance would constitute a solicitation, he replied, “He’s a well-known person, and he’s a spouse of the candidate. That should answer the question.”

Clinton visited as many as four polling venues on primary day. Boston.com reported that the campaign had been “reminded” not to solicit votes near polling sites.

In Maryland: Own A Toy Gun, Break The Law

Maryland legislators have proposed a new series of gun-control laws, including a provision to virtually ban toy guns and air rifles.

The new bill takes aim at owning alleged “imitation firearms,” which would be punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in prison. Imitation firearms are defined as “a toy, a device, or an object that substantially duplicates or can reasonably be perceived to be a firearm or a handgun.” Additionally, those already owning toy guns will not be “grandfathered in.”

The measure, by Baltimore delegate Jill Carter, would require bright colors or easily identified trademarks on toy or air guns. As an NRA spokesman commented, “This legislation is poorly drafted and short-sighted. It will ban the BB and pellet guns that many parents use to teach their children safe gun handling and marksmanship.”

A similar bill in the Maryland Senate would ban imitation firearms sales or transfers, but not possession or use.

Sales Continue To Boom For Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson has announced that their quarterly sales from November 2015 through January 2016 netted $210.8 million—greatly exceeding analysts forecasted revenue of $174.9 million. According to results released Thursday by the Springfield gun manufacturer, this is a 61.5-percent increase from the $130.5 million in recorded sales for the same quarter a year ago. Sales of Smith & Wesson handguns used for self-defense fared particularly well.

Smith & Wesson’s financial performance reveals the same pattern that we often see when the number of background checks performed by the FBI, which is an approximate gauge of gun sales at a national level, suddenly spike. Time after time, firearms sales increase following highly publicized incidents—but more importantly, after the calls for gun control that nearly always follow.

Armed Senior Citizen Stops Attack

A Philadelphia man with a concealed-carry permit used his gun to fight off two attackers who accosted him and his wife on a city street. According to local police, the 65-year-old man and his wife were walking down the street when two men approached, punched the man and knocked him to the ground, then attacked the woman. The senior citizen pulled out his handgun and shot both of the assailants—one in the abdomen, one in the shoulder—ending the threat.

Neighbors were surprised about the shooting, but supported the man who used his gun to save himself and his wife. “I think the moral of the story is you just never know who’s packing heat,” neighbor Anthony Conte told WPVI-TV. “‘Old man Sal’ was packing so you gotta watch out. And it’s a shame it went down. I hope those kids are OK.”